Claims extracted
24
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
0%
0 of 24 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans left
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
61/100
The Sydney Morning Herald's corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
2
Economy/Business
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Three years after it was mothballed, national brick maker Brickworks will restart operations at its Austral Bricks facility in Cardup, south of Perth, with the help of taxpayers.
asserted
Brickworks → mothball → taxpayers
The state government will spend $4 million to restart operations at the Cardup plant and boost brick production in WA by 10 to 15 per cent in a bid to address the state’s crippling shortage, which has home builders fearing for their futures.
asserted
builders → spend → futures
The money will include a $3 million payment to Brickworks to recommission equipment at the Cardup site as well as a $500,000 payment to ensure the plant resumes operations by March.
asserted
plant → include → March
Another $500,000 payment will be made if Brickworks can deliver 17 million maxibricks – which are used in internal walls and general construction – within the first year of operations.
asserted
which → make → operations
Perth home builders have been warning the state government for months of a looming a brick shortage in the state after Midland Brick began rationing bricks.
“This is a time where we can’t allow this situation to roll on without doing anything,” Treasurer Rita Saffioti said on Tuesday.
asserted
Saffioti → warn → Tuesday
“Something needs to be done.
asserted
Something → need → ?
We see the urgency.
asserted
We → see → urgency
“We need to get more bricks as soon as possible to ensure this doesn’t become a major challenge that exists for years upon years.”
asserted
that → need → years
Even the state’s biggest builders like Dale Alcock of the ABN Group are struggling to get bricks to service their huge pipeline of work
Part of the problem is the lack of capacity by Midland Brick, which remained the state’s only major brick maker after the Cardup facility was mothballed in 2023.
asserted
facility → struggle → 2023
Saffioti said when Cardup was shuttered, the home building market was in a very different situation, but now the pipeline was enormous.
“When that was shut down, there was about 13,500 homes being built in Western Australia each year.
asserted
that → say → Australia
We’re now up to 24,000, so the demand is definitely there,” she said.
asserted
she → ’re → 24,000
Alcock said he would go as far as to say that Brickworks’ new facility would still not produce enough bricks to meet demand, “but it’s certainly a large help.”
asserted
it → say → demand
The state government has poured about $100 million into boosting alternative construction methods to reduce the state’s obsession with double brick.
asserted
government → pour → brick
However, Alcock said WA was still a double brick state.
asserted
WA → say → ?
“We talk about different methods of construction.
asserted
We → talk → construction
We’re up for that, but you can’t just change your construction methodology overnight as an industry,” he said.
asserted
he → ’re → industry
“I encourage the government to undertake whatever support they can to Midland Brick and to Brickworks to try and increase capacity over the coming years because we are a double brick state and we need bricks.”
asserted
we → encourage → bricks
Alcock said his company had about 100 jobs with slabs down, but no bricks loaded on them.
asserted
company → say → them
“It’s taking us about an average of about four to six weeks to get brick supply,” he said.
asserted
he → take → supply
Housing Industry Association WA boss Michael McGowan said 70 per cent of homes in the state were built using the double brick construction method.
asserted
cent → say → method
He said there would likely still be delays over the next 12 months and asked customers to be patient with builders and trades.
asserted
He → say → builders
Home Builders Action Group chairman Jason Janssen has been raising the industries concerns for months and said, while he welcomed the news that Cardup was restarting, it wouldn’t be enough.
asserted
it → raise → news
“It gives us hope from March to next year but between now and then there is a lot of uncertainty,” he said.
asserted
he → give → uncertainty
Janssen called on the state government to switch the majority of its public housing build program, which includes thousands of dwellings, from double brick to alternative construction methods to free up bricks in the private market.
asserted
which → call → market
The Aporia
